Examining Substantial Factors In low testosterone

Examining Substantial Factors In low testosterone

There's a good reason guys go girl-crazy in their teens and twenties: Their testosterone levels are at Click This Link their look at here peak. From that point, visit this website however, testosterone levels slowly decrease.

"After age 30, most men begin to experience a gradual decline in testosterone," says David Samadi, MD, chairman of the urology department at Lenox Hill Hospital in nyc.

Although testosterone levels never reach zero (as estrogen levels do in women during menopause), low testosterone levels men to experience symptoms like fatigue, low sex drive, and loss of muscle mass.

While reduced testosterone is more prevalent in older men, it can occur in younger men as well. Luckily, all of the causes of low testosterone in young men are curable, so if you experience these symptoms at any given age, there's no reason to dismiss it.

For younger men, a fall in testosterone levels may be caused by some illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, diabetes, chronic liver or liver disease, COPD or other lung disease, or adrenal gland problems, according to Dr. Samadi.

Genetic causes of low testosterone in males include the diseases Klinefelter syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Myotonic dystrophy. Another disease that can result in low testosterone is hemochromatosis, making the body store too much iron.

"Low testosterone can also result when something happens, like trauma or steroid use, that prevents the testes from making the hormone," says Bruce Gilbert, MD, PhD, an adjunct clinical professor of urology and reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and director of reproductive and sexual medicine at the Smith Institute for Urology of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

Other causes of low testosterone in males younger than 50 contain adrenal gland tumors, HIV disease, and radiation therapy or chemotherapy for cancer.

Doctors categorize causes of low testosterone as primary or secondary.

"Primary hypogonadism stems from a problem in the testicles," Samadi says. In secondary hypogonadism, the testicles are normal but function improperly because of a problem with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland."

If you suspect low testosterone, the first step is to see your primary care physician. Your doctor can diagnose low testosterone with a blood test.

If your blood test reveals low testosterone (usually defined as a level lower than 300 ng/dL), the doctor may treat you or refer you to a specialist, such as an urologist or endocrinologist.

Treatments for Low Testosterone in Younger Men

"When it comes to treating low testosterone in older men, we usually reserve treatment for people who have symptoms, such as fatigue and reduced libido," Gilbert says.

Such testosterone supplements come in the form of a gel, injections, patches, long-acting pellets, or oral inserts.

In these circumstances,"therapies are often used just in the short term, and if a doctor has close observation and knowledge of the patient," Gilbert says.

An important consideration for younger men before getting treatment is fertility. "You do not want to offer supplemental testosterone to guys who are interested in being fertile since it can turn off sperm production," Gilbert says.

Once a young man goes off testosterone supplementation, there's a chance his sperm count will never return to what it was before he started. "Therefore, men of reproductive age should think about alternatives which may increase their testosterone as well as preserve their semen production," he says. 1 such choice is a class of drugs known as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).

Other treatments for low testosterone include weight loss and other lifestyle changes, like eating healthy and increasing exercise.

The bottom line, though, is that if you have low testosterone symptoms, it is very important to see your physician. Then, your doctor can rule out more significant causes of your symptoms, such as hypertension or a thyroid problem, and offer treatment that can enhance your energy and high quality of life.